I'm in the process of removing the remaining back lawn, including what is under the rotary washing line. So I'm looking for recommendations for a low growing ground cover for beneath the clothes line. There will be a path from one side of line to the other via the central pole, so the ground cover will not be stepped upon in the normal course of clothes hanging, though resistance to some trampling would be an advantage. Location Perth, soil > the typical Perth sand! gets reasonable sunlight, some shade through day.

Rhagodia spinescens would be a good one. It'll grow to about knee height, is easily clipped if it gets too high, and can also be rejuvenated by hard pruning as the years go by. It'll handle a small amount of foot traffic too.

I don't know if it'd suit but i'm busy spreading native violet out amongst the shrubs in the front yard. They like part shade. They suit the yard because it suits the temperate rain forest thing i've got going.

I 100% agree with guzzigirl. Myoporum parvifolium is so tough, with millions of white flowers. I recommend the broadleaf form over the narrow. You can stick bits straight into the ground and they will grow. Will bees be a problem at all? There is a beautiful banksis, B Blechnifolia, which can be planted amongst other plants, it sends low branches out and you barely notice it until up pops a stunning red velvety flower. Grevillea Bronze Rambler and G. Gaudi Chaudi and G poorinda royal mantle are great, as are some of the lower growing correas (like C. autumn glow). Brachysomes are gorgeous, as is scaevola, and there are always native grasses that can be planted densely as a background or among the ground covers. Swainsona Formosa (Sturt's desert pea) is striking, Lechenaltia Biloba is a mass of blue (kind of like blue lobelia), Rodanthe Chlorocephala sp is an annual daisy (everlasting) which can be grown from seed. Templetonia retusa is gorgeous, chorizema cordatum will wander straggily but beautifully and loves sandy soils, the kennedia's are great, I don't know where to stop! A good native nursery should have a ground cover section, we have State Flora here in SA, i'm not sure if you have a similar set up. Good luck with it, if in doubt walk around your neighbourhood and see what others are doing!

Myoporum parvifolium is a very useful ground cover, but has a reputation for not being very long lived, the broader leaved varieties are less of a problem in this regard, but both spread quite openly pretty quickly unless pruned regularly. It can be jevuvenated from hard pruning, though.

Banksia blechnifolia is a good suggestion, but won't tolerate foot traffic. Being a native to WA it will likely do well, and if you'd like to go down the Banksia road, B. petiolaris would be worth a look too. But like blechnifolia, it won't do well with any foot traffic either.

I'm after a good native groundcover too that will either spread by suckers or layer where it touches the ground because it will be for bank stablisiation. It would have to be robust enough to smother weeds. I have been thinking Brachyscombe angustifolia might do the trick. I wanted Grevillea 'little thicket' but can't find it anywhere... I want it to grow between my banksia, protea, waratahs and dryandra so I so don't want it to revert to a climber when it hits a trunk.

Last edited by TasV on Tue Nov 13, 2007 7:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.

"When the only tool you own is a hammer, every problem begins to resemble a nail." -- Abraham Maslow

I had creeping boobiala and it was lovely....what about...dare I say it pig face? It's tough unless you get terrible frost as well as looking quite nice, there is a grey one with pink flowers will cover well, suckers and you can strike cuttings easily..... Anyway whatever you use I am sure it will look lovely with your other plants. myoporum grows well, has nice flowers etc. Brachychomes are good too...I have never had much luck with scaveolas....might be my soil though...

When all else fails, get your hands in the dirt. Mother Nature heals all

It seems to me if you're after something for around the clothes line you might need to consider the potential for it to attract bees, so you'll need eyes in the back of your head when you're actually using the clothes line.

Paradisi, on the subject of Midyim berry, do you know if it is easy to propagate?

how about grevillea bronze rambler or banksia nutans, then for spring scatter everlastings into the area around july in perth. dianella is native to the south west of western australia. i have it growing at my place, survives on 450mm or less of water over a 5 month period and 7 months of blistering heat. lomandra tanika is a great stylish looking plant that planted on mass is stunning.

kombi69 wrote:I'm in the process of removing the remaining back lawn, including what is under the rotary washing line. So I'm looking for recommendations for a low growing ground cover for beneath the clothes line. There will be a path from one side of line to the other via the central pole, so the ground cover will not be stepped upon in the normal course of clothes hanging, though resistance to some trampling would be an advantage. Location Perth, soil > the typical Perth sand! gets reasonable sunlight, some shade through day.

Rhagodia candollaena, Kennedia prostrata or Glycine tabacina are excellent ground covers that wont exceed ankle height. They are also a little easy to contain than Myporum parvifolium and will take light foot traffic, unlike Myporum parvifolium whose branches are quite brittle and will be severely battered if you walk across it even once.